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Dominion
The Dominion is a major military superpower in the Star Trek universe. Originating from the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion is an expansive interstellar empire that was established millennia ago by a race of Changelings. These Changelings, known as the Founders, had long been persecuted by "solids", their name for life-forms confined to a single form, and sought to protect themselves by dominating and subjugating all civilizations, bringing their vision of order to a universe they saw as wracked with chaos. History For a full account of known Dominion history, click here. The Dominion is believed to have been founded some 2,000 years before its first contact with the United Federation of Planets. Before that time, the beings that would become known as the Founders were explorers of the cosmos, but wherever they went, they were met with mistrust and hatred by the civilizations they encountered. With so many of their race having been hunted and killed, the Changelings eventually reached the conclusion that all "solids", as they called them, were a threat. Refusing to allow such persecution to continue, the Changelings decided that the hunted must become the hunters, adopting a policy of conquering or destroying any races they encountered before they could threaten their Great Link. Early in its history, the Dominion made use of advanced genetic engineering technology to create two servant races: the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar. The Vorta would act as military subcommanders and liasons between the Founders and whatever races they made contact with. The Jem'Hadar, in the meantime, served as the Dominion's main military force, engineered to be the perfect soldiers. On behalf of the Founders, these two races began expanding the Dominion's territory throughout the Gamma Quadrant, whether through diplomatic means or through military conquest. In the 24th century, the Dominion became aware of several new alien races and civilizations from the Alpha Quadrant that had begun encroaching upon the Dominion's borders due to the discovery of a wormhole that connected the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. Some of the Dominion's subject races had made contact with Alpha Quadrant vessels in order to trade, but in 2370, the Dominion made official first contact with the Federation after the Jem'Hadar engaged in battle with a Starfleet ship. Following this engagement, the Alpha Quadrant was put on high alert. To guage the potential threat that the Alpha Quadrant powers posed, the Dominion sent several Changeling spies through the wormhole to infiltrate the quadrant's various government bodies. Each infiltrator would assume the identity of a key government or military figure, kidnapping or killing whomever they were to replace and leaking vital information back to the Dominion. In 2373, having forged an alliance with the crippled Cardassian Union, the Dominion began its incursion into the Alpha Quadrant. Sending numerous military convoys through the wormhole, they occupied Cardassian space, providing relief to the Cardassians and reinforcing their foothold in the quadrant while the Federation and Klingon Empire were left at a significant disadvantage. Starfleet would then mine the entrance to the Bajoran Wormhole in order to stop the Dominion from sending any more convoys to Cardassia, and as expected, the Dominion considered this an act of war, thus beginning a two-year conflict between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant powers. The Dominion made rapid gains in the opening months of the war, beginning with the siege of Deep Space 9 and the wormhole. However, it was dealt a major setback in mid-2374, when Starfleet and Klingon forces retook Deep Space 9 and prevented the Dominion from obtaining reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. Also in that year, the Romulan Star Empire joined the war against the Dominion. Despite various reversals and an eleventh-hour alliance with the Breen Confederacy, by late 2375, the Dominion verged on defeat and was additionally beset by a Cardassian uprising. The war ended when the Female Changeling agreed to surrender, in exchange for a cure to a morphogenic virus afflicting the Great Link. Government The Dominion was organized under a strict hierarchy, with the Founders at the top, then the Vorta as administrators, and the Jem'Hadar as soldiers next. This arrangement was referred to as "the order of things" and deviation from it was punishable by death. The Founders held ultimate authority and their decisions could not be questioned under any circumstances. However, the Founders were largely apathetic towards the affairs of solids and were content to leave the administration of the Dominion to the Vorta. The Vorta commanded the Jem'Hadar and disseminated ketracel-white crucial for their survival. Below the Founders, Vorta, and Jem'Hadar, the Dominion included numerous subjugated "member" races. These species were expected to obey the orders of the Vorta administrators. Disobedience would be punished by massive Jem'Hadar reprisals. In the 2370s, the Dosi and the Son'a were economically affiliated with the Dominion. In late 2375, the Dominion signed an alliance with the Breen Confederacy. While the Teplans were punished by the Dominion for their resistance in the mid-22nd century, their political status as of the 24th century is unknown. Society The Founders were rarely encountered by their subjects, leading them to be regarded as myths or gods. The Vorta and the Jem'Hadar were both engineered to worship the Founders; indeed, they believed that their lives belonged to the Founders, rather than themselves. The Karemma were an important commercial power within the Dominion, and constructed weapons for the Dominion military. The language of the Dominion was known as Dominionese. Although the Dominion might seem monolithic and united, there were some internal pressures, mostly between the Vorta and Jem'Hadar. The two servant races of the Founders regarded one another with barely disguised contempt, and a delicate balance existed between Jem'Hadar troops and their Vorta overseers. Their shared loyalty and obedience to the Founders kept them nominally at peace, but often, it was only the Vorta's control of ketracel-white that kept them alive, and even then, this form of control has been known to fail; Jem'Hadar killing their Vorta was rare, but not unheard of. Vorta and Jem'Hadar tried to maintain the appearance of unity, but this varied between individuals; some Vorta, such as Keevan, behaved in a false paternal fashion to their troops, while others, like Weyoun 4, were visibly disinterested in the Jem'Hadar's welfare. Philosophy The philosophy of the Dominion was divided into three distinct groups, each with notably differing outlooks and aspects. The perspective of the Founders, or the Changelings, with whom ultimately rested the control over the Dominion, was formed from their history of persecution at the hands of non-shapeshifting lifeforms they thereafter termed "Solids". To that end, the priority of the Founders was the survival of their own species, by any means necessary. They had no interest in matters such as Klingon honour, the Federation's goal of peaceful exploration, Ferengi material success, or objections made by opposing groups regarding their methods of self-preservation. Their philosophy is to dominate everything that can be dominated and destroying all that cannot; the Founders were, in essence, driven by an urge to "impose order on a chaotic universe." The Founders' extreme longevity (indeed, practical immortality) has provided them with a uniquely long viewpoint. As the genetically-engineered and highly intelligent Jack described: the Dominion does not adjust its strategies based on what has occurred within the past week or even year, but is concerned instead with what the universe will look like centuries or more forward. This perspective was evident in the Dominion War, where the strategy was to engage in a long-term war of attrition, counting on superior construction methods and their ability to breed Jem'Hadar, rather than risk everything on one battle. Apart from the Changelings' metamorphic abilities, the most distinguishing ability of their species is "linking" – the physical and mental connection of multiple Changelings. The species seems to exist in a collective union called The Great Link for much of their life span, producing a strongly anti-individualist perspective. Consequently, the Founders seem to be a remarkably unified, even monolithic, species. Their most sacred axiom: "No Changeling has ever harmed another" reflects both this and their obsession with physical security. Disagreement between the Founders, however, is not unheard of, as illustrated by the (at least initial) lack of consensus over how to deal with Odo after he murdered another changeling. The Changelings genetically modified the Vorta to serve them in various roles. They have also genetically-engineered the Jem'Hadar to serve as their soldiers. Each group of Jem'Hadar is closely controlled by the Vorta. The Jem'Hadar enforce the will of the Founders, fight in wars to expand the Dominion, protect the Vorta and the Founders, etc. Both races are engineered to worship the Founders as their gods. Military A Dominion strategy frequently used was to not use its military might during initial contacts, but rather, to take over via influence and espionage. While Jem'Hadar fighters destroyed the USS Odyssey as a show of force, the Dominion used its vast influential and espionage tactics to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant. For example, the Dominion precipitated a war between the Cardassian Union and the Klingon Empire, and then struck an alliance with the Cardassian Union, knowing full well they would accept due to their dire state, so that the Dominion could gain support and a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant before deploying its military power. The Dominion was founded on the principle of control, with the intent being to neutralize any potential threat to the Founders by whatever means necessary. In cases involving cooperative species such as the Karemma, the extent of Dominion interference was fairly minimal and restricted to material support. However, if the target species was or became less cooperative, the Jem'Hadar were dispatched to wipe out any opposition. The fear of massive Jem'Hadar reprisals was enough to keep most planets in line. For a prospective member, at first contact the Dominion may have appeared helpful, or even benevolent. A typical Dominion strategy was to make concessions in the short term for an advantage in the longer term, which may have been centuries in advance. Technology By the time of the Dominion War, Dominion technology appeared to have significantly outpaced that of most Alpha Quadrant species. Instead of phased energy or disruptor beams, Jem'Hadar rifles emitted powerful polaron beams. They had a side effect of acting as an anticoagulant in some humanoids, thereby impeding the natural wound healing process. Similarly, Dominion warships displayed more impressive firepower than their Alpha Quadrant counterparts. Phased polaron beams were mounted on all Jem'Hadar attack ships. These initially cut through Federation shielding without effort; however, the DS9 crew subsequently managed to adapt their shields to withstand Dominion weapons for short periods. By the time of the Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, Federation shields had no more difficulty withstanding polaron weaponry than any other energy weapon. The Breen also wielded a huge advantage on the battlefield with an energy dissipating weapon, which was capable of disabling Federation and Romulan vessels with a single shot. Effective countermeasures were eventually developed by Starfleet engineers. Dominion transporters utilized transponders, which enabled them to transport individuals across distances as far as three light years. Dominion warp capability was less advanced when compared to most major Alpha Quadrant species. A Dominion fighter was capable of at least warp 7 and a battle cruiser was capable of at least warp 4.7. While some Dominion technology was in many ways more advanced than that of the Federation, the Vorta Keevan once lamented that Starfleet engineers were famed for being able to "turn rocks into replicators". At least some Dominion technology was manufactured by Dominion member species; it is known, for example, that at least one type of torpedo carried on board Jem'Hadar attack vessels was sold to the Dominion by the Karemma, a Dominion member. The Jem'Hadar did, however, seem capable of performing not only some minor and emergency repairs, but also understanding complex engineering on even Starfleet vessels. Member species Founders The beings who would become known as the Founders of the Dominion were not always as they are. Eons ago, they were monoformic like most of the galaxy's life-forms, confined to a single shape. How exactly they evolved into their metamorphic state remains a mystery. Changelings were once a curious race and had dedicated themselves to exploring the galaxy. However, wherever they went, they found themselves persecuted by "solids" (their name for non-shapeshifters) who deeply resented and mistrusted them. Frequently hunted and killed by these aggressors, the Changelings adopted an isolationist policy and hid themselves away, though they remained curious about other forms of life and feared that eventually other races would become aware of them and seek them out. Over time, the Changeling race came to view the universe as inherently chaotic and that that chaos would eventually be their downfall unless they instilled order among the solids. To this end, they approached less-advanced races and interfered with their social development, coerscing them into accepting the Changelings as godlike beings. Changeling biology is unlike any other form of life in the galaxy. They have no specific solid form as most carbon-based life does and their natural form appears to be nothing more than a copper-coloured gelatinous mass. Changelings are entirely fluidic in this form, though they are capable of assuming other forms at will, hence their name. They are able to morph into just about anything: inanimate objects such as rocks or trees, animals and even sentient beings such as Humans. In some cases, Changelings have demonstrated the ability to morph into gaseous elements and even fire. Changelings cannot maintain any chosen form indefinitely and must return to their natural gelatinous state every 16-18 hours. If a Changeling does not return to its natural state, its morphogenic matrix will destabilize. In the case of a Changeling assuming a humanoid form, its features will begin to flake and crumble like drying clay. Sometimes it appears that the Changeling slowly melts rather than crumbles. Changelings are capable of separating small portions of their bodily mass. Any part of a Changeling that is separated from its main body is no longer manipulated by the Changeling's consciousness and will become inert, reverting to a gelatinous mass. Vorta The Vorta were a humanoid species genetically engineered by the Founders of the Dominion to act as field commanders, administrators, scientists, and diplomats. Supposedly, they once existed as small, timid, ape-like forest dwellers living in hollowed-out trees to avoid predators, of which there were many, on their homeworld. Legend has it that one day, a family of Vorta hid a Changeling from an angry mob of "solids" that were pursuing it. In return, the Changeling promised that, one day, they would be transformed into powerful beings and placed at the head of a vast interstellar empire that would stretch across the galaxy. Apparently in fulfillment of the Founders' earlier promise, the Vorta were genetically changed by them into humanoids and were employed at the highest level of the Dominion, as the Founders' tools of conquest. Perhaps the most important of the genetic alterations made to the Vorta was an intrinsic belief that the Founders were gods. This ensured the Vorta's absolute obedience to the Founders. Often, while speaking to a Founder directly, a Vorta would typically assume a submissive posture, holding his hands down by his sides with palms faced out and slightly bowing his head. Vorta acted as the commanders of the Jem'Hadar. A single Vorta commanded each Jem'Hadar ship and the Jem'Hadar First was directly responsible to that individual, though the other Jem'Hadar were instead responsible to the First. The Vorta were tasked with the distribution of ketracel-white, a drug that ensured the loyalty of the Jem'Hadar. Jem'Hadar The Jem'Hadar are the genetically-engineered soldiers of the Dominion. They appear as grey-skinned, reptilian humanoids that possess great physical strength and are genetically programmed to function as effective, ruthless fighting machines. They were produced within artificial hatcheries and their growth cycle was accelerated, such that they reached full maturity only three days after emergence. They did not mate, and so their species had no females. The Jem'Hadar's obedience to the Founders is ensured thanks to a narcotic compound - ketracel-white - which their bodies have been designed to be completely dependent on. White withdrawal will make a Jem'Hadar go insane, causing it to turn rabid and viciously attack anything and anyone in its path. Jem'Hadar were engineered to be soldiers and ship crews, nothing more. Their culture shunned all forms of relaxation and recreation, on the belief that such things made them weak. For the same reason, Jem'Hadar fighters, and probably other classes of Jem'Hadar starships, were not equipped with chairs. The Jem'Hadar were genetically programmed to revere the Founders as gods and to be unquestioningly loyal to them. However, this engineering was not flawless, which is why it was necessary to make them dependent on the white. Most Jem'Hadar died young in battle; as such, it was rare for them to live past 15 years of age. Few ever lived to the age of 20, and those who did were awarded the title "Honoured Elders." The Vorta, as the representatives of the Founders, were also given immense loyalty by most Jem'Hadar – even when such loyalty seemed unwarranted. Absolute obedience from the Jem'Hadar was further guaranteed by the Vorta's control of ketracel-white supplies. Jem'Hadar combat units followed a very specific hierarchy. Normally, a Vorta commanded one or several units. Every unit contained a Jem'Hadar First, who was in command. Each Jem'Hadar after the First was also given a number rank (Second, Third, Fourth, etc.). In the event the First was killed, the Second took over for the First, the Third took over for the Second, and so forth. Although the succeeding Jem'Hadar assumed the duties of his superior, he only received the higher number rank if his Vorta commander granted it. Karemma The Karemma were an important economic power in the Dominion. They engaged in trade with non-Dominion races, which was overseen by the Karemma Commerce Ministry. Their exported products included tulaberry wine and fleece, and their Ministry of Trade sold torpedoes to the Jem'Hadar. Their unit of currency was the dirak, and they also accepted latinum. Officially, the Karemma believed that all merchandise had a set fair value, determined by the raw materials and labour involved in its creation, transportation costs, and a reasonable profit margin. They took a dim view of underhanded business practices, believing that greed led to misjudgement and reduced profits. Nevertheless, in actual practice the Karemma have been known to sell substandard goods. The Karemma interacted with the Dominion only through Vorta agents, with the understanding that any disobedience would be punished by the Jem'Hadar. They had no knowledge of who the Founders were or if they even existed. Dosi The Dosi placed great importance on business and were extremely aggressive negotiators, to the point that fatalities were not uncommon. Little else is known about their race, including their exact status within the Dominion. They are, however, the first Dominion-affiliated race to make contact with the Alpha Quadrant and were involved in a tense trade negotiation with the Ferengi Alliance. Cardassians See also: Cardassian Union The Cardassians were an Alpha Quadrant race that joined the Dominion in 2373. In the two years prior to joining the Dominion, the Cardassian Union had suffered tremendous political and economic hardship, due in large part to Dominion interference. A coup d'etat on Cardassia Prime saw the collapse of the Union's Central Command, followed shortly after by a devastating war with the Klingon Empire. In order to restore Cardassia's former glory, military official Skraine Dukat secretly began negotiations with the Dominion, offering them a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant in exchange for economic aid and assistance in rebuilding their military. Dukat himself would become the new head of state, but he was essentially leading a puppet government up until he was captured by the Federation in 2374. He would then be replaced as head of the Cardassian Union by his adjutant, Corat Damar. The Cardassians paid a high price for allowing the Dominion to take root in their territory. As the Dominion War progressed, their subservient status in the Dominion became more apparent; Cardassian soldiers were considered just as expendable as Jem'Hadar, if not moreso, and civilians were treated as second-class citizens on their own soil. In late 2375, having grown discontent with the Dominion's occupation of his world, Damar initiated a resistance movement and, with Federation assistance, launched a full planetary uprising on Cardassia Prime. During the final battle of the Dominion War, the Cardassian fleet turned against the Dominion ships and helped the Federation Alliance fleet surround Cardassia. In response to this insurrection, the Female Changeling ordered the Jem'Hadar to begin carpet-bombing the entire planet. Over 800 million Cardassians were killed before the Founder issued a ceasefire order and the Dominion surrendered. The Cardassian military was reduced greatly from two years of total war against the Federation Alliance, and their economy was crippled. In the Treaty of Bajor, the Cardassian Union agreed that all Alpha Quadrant territories would revert to the status before the Dominion's entry into the quadrant. Son'a The Son'a were an interstellar power in the Alpha Quadrant, originating from the Ba'ku planet, from which they were exiled in the late-23rd century. They were nomadic, though they maintained outposts across the quadrant. The Son'a were exiles from Ba'ku, a planet with a biosphere that was maintained by metaphasic radiation emanating from the planet's rings, making its inhabitants essentially immortal. After their exile, the Son'a resorted to using genetic engineering technology to maintain their bodies, but their biology built up toxins and bacteria so rapidly that their genetic manipulation techniques weren't able to keep up. As well as being afflicted with a degenerative condition, the Son'a had also been rendered sterile, dooming them to eventual extinction. The Son'a are believed to have allied with the Dominion in 2375, towards the end of the Dominion War. They were confirmed to have manufactured large quantities of ketracel-white, which was essential to maintaining the Dominion's Jem'Hadar forces. Breen The Breen were a reclusive, powerful, and warlike humanoid race, native to the planet Breen in the Alpha Quadrant. Shrouded in mystery, the Breen were also one of the most underestimated races inhabiting that quadrant of space. Little information exists on the Breen; since they all wear refridgeration suits, it is not even known what they look like. Federation intelligence has suggested that the Breen homeworld is a frozen wasteland, but according to the Vorta Weyoun, the climate on Breen is actually quite comfortable for most humanoids, thus throwing the Breen's need for their suits into question. The Breen joined forces with the Dominion in late 2375, during the twilight of the war. They provided advanced energy-dampening weapons that were capable of completely shutting down Federation and Romulan ships in one shot, though the Klingons had developed a defence against these weapons which would later be shared among their allies. Following the Dominion's surrender to the Federation Alliance, the Breen severed their ties to the Dominion and once again withdrew into their own territory.Category:Star Trek Category:Military Category:Hegemony Category:Empires Category:Dominion